The Lesser of Two Evils
by haydenrodrigue
Summary: The story behind Coin and Snow's war over Katniss Everdeen. Follows the background of both characters and shows how they become the twisted people they are by the end of Mockingjay.
1. Chapter 1

**THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS:**  
A STORY OF THE PRESIDENTS OF PANEM

Chapter 1: Snow

The Chamber was empty. No longer did anyone bustle in and out, conversing rapidly about details that no one truly cared about. Snow liked it like this. No more chaos, no more confusion. Silence, perfect silence. It made everything so much easier. That's why he enjoyed his rose garden so much. Absolute silence and no one was allowed to torture him with the petty details of the government policies and whatnot.

Things had gone so well for such a long time, really a wonder how long the peace lasted. Truly, he did believe this to be coming at one point or another. Just not this way, at this magnitude. The rebellion was sparked by a girl from District 12 of all places, and it seemed as though everything she did just kindled it even more. He found it quite interesting to watch it fluctuate, as if it were a game, like chess. One side beginning to raise above the other just slightly, until the other side knocks it down a peg. It was a touchy scale, constantly tipping toward one direction, and suddenly, tipping the other way.

The girl had been correct. It was a fragile system. The Capitol depends too much on the Districts for things, and the Districts don't rely on the Capitol enough. There was always fear. Always something to scare the Districts away from revolt. But then there was always hope to push them right back toward it. It seemed that was the definition of this game. Hope versus fear. Hope tends to win. Hope is stronger. Fear is an illusion that can be crippled as easily as the Capitol can be toppled. There was no ultimate power of the Capitol, nor the Districts. There was always the skewed allegiances, always the odd man out, but there was never quite a side to be on, and that was key to winning this games. There isn't two teams. There isn't twelve teams. Hell, there aren't even a thousand teams. Everyone is fighting for themselves, no matter how noble their intentions seem to the public.

Katniss Everdeen is just a scared, mad girl. She says her one goal was peace, but it was never peace. Her goal was always self-preservation. She was too blind to see the greater picture, but she was not stupid. She was learning this game almost as well as she had learned the rules to the Hunger Games. Only this game involved many more parties, and there was no cannon to signify a death. No names in the sky, no sponsors to help her now. Only the people surrounding her can help her. And let us hope that she has the right team, because if not, she will be annihilated, and her memory will be reduced to ash, just as her home was.

There was a click of the door at the end of the elaborate hall. As the figure neared the podium stand, he recognized the figure as Egeria. She wore a red blouse and long baggy black pants. She stopped a few rows back from the podium, and looked up at him, in her aggravatingly questioning method. Snow sighed, and pushed back from the podium, with a tight grip on the railing nearby.

"Would you like some help, Sir?" she asked as she looked at him sideways, her eyes piercing his throat, not quite looking him in the eyes.

"That's quite alright, Egeria. I was just sitting here wondering if Miss Everdeen has seen Mr. Mellark's newest interview." He smiled crookedly, his eyes glinting in the bright lights on the stage. He walked slowly down the steps to the aisle of the hall. "I believe that Mr. Mellark did an excellent job of… communicating his opinion? What did you think?" Snow walked extremely near to Egeria, and held his hands in a dignified grasp in front of him.

"I thought he did well for the restrictions you placed upon him. Though, I do believe he was too emotional, too much emotion conveys certain messages we don't want the people of Panem to infer." She pursed her lips, as if not quite wanting to start an argument.

"If there's something you'd like to tell me Egeria, feel free to speak up. This is not a dictatorship." He walked past her to sit in a seat nearby. "Do you know why I come here Egeria?"

"No sir."

"It's not simply just to escape from my hectic life, though that is a nice perk. I enjoy sitting at that podium because so many people before have. And each one has dug this country deeper into the pit of darkness. I find it almost thrilling to sit there and just imagine what was going through their heads as they slowly ruined this great nation. I do not believe myself to be any better than them, but instead, I find myself to be even worse. You see Egeria, it's very easy to become the bad guy. It is very easy to be portrayed as a monster. I am the metaphor for a monster, just as our Capitol is, just as it's people are. Just as you are. The monster is a necessary addition to politics. If everything is perfect and seamless, people become bored, and a new monster is born. It's just a law of nature, and us as humans can't seem to figure that out. If you really want to know why I come here, it's to make sure that the monster is contained. If let loose it destroys everything, just as hope or freedom does. Too much of anything can ruin the rest. This room signifies power to me, and power is the greatest creator of all. It creates historical people. Terrible yes, but great. And Panem cannot function without the power of the terrible. It was built upon terrible occurrences, and it will continue to work that way until we truly do, in the words of Peeta Mellark, obliterate everything, and destroy ourselves. Only then will our history matter, only then can our stories be salvaged. And when they are, I intend to be remembered. Do you understand now why what Peeta Mellark did today was exactly right?"

Egeria shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the speech he had just made.

"I'm not quite sure, sir. How does power connect with his emotions?" She looked at him, and Snow bowed his head, and laughed a small, condescending laugh.

"Oh dear Egeria, as I have said hundreds of times, fear and hope are the most powerful emotions. Peeta has no hand in inflicting fear. It's not his forte. But when it comes to giving hope, he can truly master that topic. He showed hope for a people, and instructed them, using that."

"But the revolution will continue, sir. Even if he shows emotions or not."

"This rebellion Egeria may end us, and Mr. Mellark is correct on that aspect. But if it truly does, remember I said this: Never let time destroy you." Snow stood slowly, and exited the hall up the ramp, as Egeria stood silently, analyzing every word he had just said.


	2. Chapter 2: Coin

Chapter Two: Coin

The sound of computers buzzed all around, a sound you can never quite get accustomed to. Coin didn't like computers much. Too confusing, too complicated. But the same could be said for people too. Too confusing, never quite articulating their feelings correctly. Too complicated, always weighing decisions against each other, fighting, making things harder. Not that she didn't like people. Coin loved them, for these same reasons. She loved the intricacies of them, the tiny minuscule details about them that made them, them. What she hated was how they tended to express these details. They press them upon you, smothering you with their opinions and ideas. It was exhausting, truly. Yet, that's how people are, and people and computers are very different on that front. Yet, she still liked people more.

"Madam, it's time." a technician told her.

"Alright." Coin looked into the blank computer screen as it sat motionless, and dark. A second later, a face popped up on the screen. It was pixelated, but she recognized her right away, by the blonde hair, and grey eyes.

"Mommy!" the pixelated girl said as she slowly became smoother.

"Hello Eliza, how are you today?" Coin smiled as she looked at her daughter, knowing she'd never get to touch her again.

"I still hurt, but I can see alright. It's not as dark as yesterday." the little girl was braiding her hair as she spoke, looking at Coin with such excitement.

"That's very good. How is your father? Where is he, actually?" Coin said, slightly scared for the answer.

"He went to the cafeteria for lunch for us both. We started eating it in here because the other people like to fight at lunch, and it gets scary sometimes…" Eliza finished braiding her hair, and got up excitedly, "You wanna see my drawing, mommy?" The girl went out of frame for a second.

"Of course, darling. What's it a drawing of?" Coin asked, lightheartedly.

"Outside! I don't really know what it looks like, but I found some pictures from a long time ago and tried to copy it. They're in black and white, so I had to use my imagination to color it, but I think I did a good job. What do you think?" Eliza showed the picture to the camera. It was a gorgeous rendition of a skyline at sunset. The sky was orange with pinks and purples intertwined with it. The land tinged light blue, and the trees a darker teal. Without knowing it, the girl had drawn a perfect summer dusk. One from long ago. Coin stared at it for a long time, trying not to cry.

"Do you not like it?" Eliza said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Oh, no, no! Eliza… it's… it's beautiful. You have a true talent, you know that?" Coin said, with her smile cracking.

"Ma'am, we have to wrap it up." the technician said from behind.

"Alright. Eliza? Mommy has to go, but tell Daddy that I want you both to have a great day, and we're still doing everything we can. I love you two so much. Maybe you could draw me a picture? Just for me?"

"Sure mommy! What of?" Eliza asked brightly.

"Oh I don't know, maybe a flower? Yes, I would very much enjoy a primrose." Coin said, thoughtfully.

"Okay! I'll show you it at the same time tomorrow! I love you." The girl smiled, her bright grey eyes sparkling.

"Goodbye, Eliza. See you tomorrow." The screen went dark, and Coin stood up, wiping her hands on her pants. She sighed. There's nothing they can do, Coin knew that, but she felt so helpless, as she watched her daughter and husband deteriorate before her eyes, and she felt guilty for not being there with them. There's no way anyone could sanction it. No one was allowed to the quarantine level except those quarantined, and very specific doctors, as her husband was originally.

Yet, the District still had to be run. There was no stopping them, not now, not ever. They were survivors, even if they weren't living. Things had to be done, as they always had to be. But now, there was a darker twist. They had already lost 26 people to the disease and hundreds more were infected. It was hard not to put herself and her family first, but that's not how Thirteen worked. Everyone was equal. No one was better than anyone else. Yet, somehow it felt that some were still luckier than others, that's unavoidable in this society, apparently.


End file.
